Gotta Confess like an Idiot
by classic-phan
Summary: Erina is tired and Souma likes her a lot.
1. Gotta Confess like an Idiot

Summary: Erina is tired and Souma likes her a lot.

A/N: this is my first SouRina fic so lemme know what you think. I hope you guys like it!

...

Erina just wanted to go home.

Even Hisako had gone back and here she was, wasting her time on some stupid work that she wasn't even able to concentrate on. Her eyes kept drooping and she was about to fall asleep on her desk any minute now.

Taking on the Headmaster's place as a seventeen year old was really getting to her.

She had to look after her Grandfather's previous contracts and make sure that her Father's contracts were taken well care of. She was thankful for Hisako for helping her through this by looking after other arrangements and jobs. Erina couldn't thank her enough for all that her best friend had done for her. Even her friends from the Polar Star Dorm visited her sometimes. Usually they came with food and invitations to come over for dinner.

Mostly it's Yukihira-kun who comes over to drop by some stuff that the others sent. He usually drops by late, having to stay over to finish up his duties as the First Seat of Tōtsuki Elite Ten.

She remembers the first time he visited her, how surprised she was. It was like when they sat together in the train during the End of the Year exams all over again minus the beautiful display of stars. She giggles when she recalls his face when he compared the shimmering stars to salmon roe. That was the first time she had realized she didn't hate him like she thought she did. Overtime, he had become a cherished friend and ally.

While Erina believes that Yukihira-kun deserves to be the one at the top, she also believes that he needs to change her attitude towards his work. He leaves his paperwork to the last minute -getting poor Tadokoro-chan to help him and sometimes had the _audacity_ to ask _her_ for help.

She fumes just thinking about how he drops by whenever he wants. Strutting in like he owns the _goddamn_ place. She usually forgives him when she sees that he brought her food or drinks -mostly made by him- after giving him a warning to not disturb her while she is working. Erina has to keep up with her reputation after all _but_ it's not like he listens anyway.

It's also not like she doesn't want him to come by but it's not like she can tell him that to his face, Erina just stays happy when he sets foot in her office despite her half-hearted complaints.

She might not have told him about his food being delicious -at this point, it almost feels like a challenge, and Erina isn't one to back off. But she appreciates it when he brings her food. She isn't able to take proper breaks because of her schedule and him coming over is like a breath of fresh air. Since she doesn't have many taste-testing schedules anymore, she finds herself hungry a lot more. Erina probably would have dropped dead by now if it wasn't for her friends bringing her food from time to time.

These days, Erina is always feeling grateful. Something which she didn't feel when she was younger.

Thinking about Souma, she blushes when she remembers the knowing glances Hisako sends her way whenever the topic of the chef is brought up. Erina makes sure to pointedly ignore her when that happens, choosing to leave the conversation for a later -possibly never- date.

She would deny it if anybody ever said something but she had started to enjoy the company of the redhead. She has started looking forward to seeing the chef, enjoying their banter. She marvels at the fact that they could talk about anything. From the way no one is challenging him to a shokugeki _to_ Yukihira's newest disaster squid and peanut butter dish.

She finds it surprising when he asks her about her day which is usually filled with her Headmaster duties and classes, still she likes telling him about her day and in return she listens to him telling her about the new dishes that he has in his mind or the various accidents which typically happens at the Dorm every other day.

She likes it when he asks her to taste his dishes. She likes it even more when that conversation turns into banter when she asks him what she'll get in return. Since his answer is always _'_ come on Nakiri, you're getting an opportunity to taste the First Seat's dish before anyone else. You should think of yourself to be really lucky' to her reply being 'the God Tongue isn't interested' to 'okay, I'll come if you bring me the newest edition of the manga that I'm currently reading'.

She doesn't realize when she falls asleep -with a warm smile on her face- thinking about her conversations with the chef or when the said chef enters her room.

"Yo Nakiri," Souma calls out, pausing when he sees her fast asleep on her desk.

 _Sheesh, if she was so tired then she should've just gone home. The work isn't going to run away from her._

He moves towards her, setting down the bag of food and drinks on her desk. Deciding to wake her up, he goes to stand next to her, his hands on her shoulder.

"Oi Nakiri! Wake up!" He calls out, his voice softer than usual, filled with fondness that he never was able to deny.

He stops after a few seconds after noticing that she isn't waking up. _Damn, she must have been really tired._

Souma doesn't know why she likes working herself to the bone but it makes him want to visit her every day. He wants to make sure she eats properly and takes care of herself. Doesn't seem to like the thought of her being alone in her office at night.

He can't say that the only reason for his late night visits is to take care of her. He enjoys the blonde chef's company, how she is able to understand him and his cooking. He thinks about how much she had changed. From wanting to expel him to spending the rest of her school years with him -and the Dorm. Souma smiles down at her sleeping form, his hand unconsciously moving to remove the strand of hair hiding her face from him.

He brings his hand back to his side, surprised at what he had just done. He is suddenly filled with a emotion he hasn't felt before -more like hasn't acknowledged before, threatening to overflow. His heart starts beating faster and he can't stop himself as he moves to bend down next to her, until his face is right next to hers.

 _Souma, you're done for._ He thinks as he stares at her. He can't help when his lips start moving on their own. He can't help the words that fall out. He can't help the way his eyes widen when he realizes what he just said.

" _Erina, I like you."_

He moves towards the door, his expression that of a deer caught in headlights. He looks back at her; grateful she is sleeping and therefore hadn't heard his slip up.

 _He's such an idiot._

Souma's hands are on the door knob when he hears a sound from behind him. He takes a moment to control his emotions and his expression before turning around to face the chef. He nearly staggers back when he notices her stretching out like a cat, her face still clouded with sleep. _Cute_.

"O-oh, you're awake, Er-Nakiri," he stutters out, mentally slapping himself for acting so weirdly. He sends her a small grin as he walks towards her desk. "I brought you food but you were sleeping so I was about to leave."

"Ah, is that so? Thank you for bringing me food, Yukihira-kun," Erina says, a happy tone in her voice. She leans forward to grab the bag of food before motioning for Souma to take a seat in front of her. He hesitates before sighing and sitting down.

"You should go home, Nakiri," he starts, looking anywhere but her eyes, "You're going to fall asleep while standing at this rate."

"You don't need to tell me what I should do or shouldn't do, diner boy. Remember, I'm still ahead of you," her response is automatic.

"Well, if you keep running yourself to the ground like that then not for long," he shot back. Erina wasn't sure if he was serious or was just teasing her, but she could detect something like worry in his voice which she mostly hears in Hisako's. She opened her mouth to call him out but thought better of it and took out the food.

"Ramen?" Erina asked as she looked at the containers filled with ramen, "Why is there so much of it?"

"Oh, one of it is for me," he grinned, taking a pair of chopsticks and one of the containers, "I was testing some recipes and wanted to make one that could beat Megishima-senpai's."

"You have a long way to go, Yukihira-kun," Erina says as she takes a bite of the ramen, while extremely delicious it still wasn't anywhere near the level of the former Third Seat's.

"I think so too. What do you think is missing?" Souma asks and soon they launch into a detailed description of his ramen. Erina points out what she thinks is unbalanced and what more is needed and what is missing. Souma brings up different ways to make it better and together they come up with various recipes to try. From there they talk about their days like usual.

As this goes on, Souma forgets about his mishap and tries to stop himself from looking at Erina's lips for too long, trying and failing to keep the blush at bay. Thankfully, she either doesn't notice it or she did but doesn't point it out -whatever it is, Souma is relieved.

They finish up the food and Souma gets up, stretching and not noticing the blonde chef's gaze lingering at his waist where his shirt just rode up. Erina gets up too, finally deciding to go sleep in her own bed and as she clears her desk she fails to notice the way the redhead stares at her.

 _They're a bunch of idiots._

They both move towards the door and Souma waits for her as she checks her room for anything that needed her attention. She gives him a smile when she is done which he returns. Together they move towards the exit only stopping when they realize they have to go in the opposite direction. Erina has a car waiting to take her towards her mansion and Souma plans to walk back to the dorm.

An awkward silence takes place over them and Erina fiddles with her hands while Souma rubs the back of his head. Having had enough of the awkward situation Erina turns to face Souma at the same time as he does while both of them opening their mouths at the same time.

"I-"

"Er-Nakiri-"

They stop and stare at each other before their faces split in a wide grin and they start laughing. After a few seconds of euphoric laughter, Souma nods at her to start first.

Abruptly, Erina's throat goes dry as she stares at the redhead in front of her. Her confidence flowing away from her like water and her thoughts and feelings get stuck in her throat, unable to come out. She coughs when the silence stretches out and takes a step back.

"Uh-h I'll see you tomorrow then?" she says instead, feeling like she just lost a very big opportunity. Something that she was sure she would come to regret later -when she is lying down on her bed looking around the empty room where there is nothing to distract her.

Souma can't do anything but stare at her, not knowing what she was feeling. Instead, he just sighed, when it comes to cooking he was able to take up any challenge but why is that when it comes to Erina his mind just stops. His emotions stop him from going a step further and he can't stop himself from wondering what would happen if he let his feelings go. If she would reciprocate or she would coldly reject him. These thoughts continue plaguing his mind and he can't help but groan.

"Yukihira-kun?" Erina calls out, confused and surprised at his reaction.

"Ahh I'm just a bit tired, see you tomorrow, Nakiri," he says before waving her goodbye. Erina smiles before walking towards her car. Souma can't help but feel disappointed, as if this was his only chance to confess.

He stares at her as she reaches her car and is about to turn back when he notices something which confuses him more. Erina had stopped in front of car, neither getting inside nor doing anything else. He's about to ask her if anything is wrong when she turns towards him with a fierce look on her face. Something he only saw during the Régiment de Cuisine. Needless to say, he is bewildered -whatever it was going to be, he wasn't expecting this.

"Yukihira Souma!" she shouts at him and he looks back at her helplessly.

"Y-yes?" he can't even act his like usual calm self. _Man, Erina is something._

"You're an idiot." she states, acting as if she didn't just shout at him. Souma wasn't expecting this and he can't help but feel way out of his zone.

"Yah Nakiri! What are you on about? What did I do?" he asked, getting annoyed. This wasn't how he wanted this day to end.

Erina didn't say anything else, just moved towards him until she was standing right in front of him. Looking down at her, Souma was sure if he leaned into her a bit then their noses would touch. It took all his willpower to not just bend down and kiss her. He blushed a bit at their proximity and his thoughts.

"You're an idiot," she repeated with conviction before tilting her head and standing on her toes until her lips were right next to his ear. She couldn't believe she was going to do this, didn't know where this confidence was coming from. Maybe she knew that Souma would never tell him his feelings again or wouldn't take the first step. Whatever it was, she knew she had to do it first.

At least she would get bragging rights.

She leaned back and gave Souma a fond smile, "You can call me Erina from now on, Souma-kun."

Erina gave him a mischievous grin before running back to her car and leaving Souma with his face red like a tomato. Both from what Erina had just said and with the realization that she had heard his embarrassing confession.

 _I like you too, Souma_.


	2. Together With You

**So this is something i had in mind since before the first part but it hits here well**

 **LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND READ THE END NOTES ehehehhe**

 **ENJOY!**

 **Summary:** Erina wants to know if they are actually together and Souma wants to make sure they are.

 **...**

Meeting after the confession had been an awkward mess. Souma couldn't help the grin that bloomed on his face whenever he looked at her and Erina couldn't hide the blush that surfaced whenever their eyes met.

Erina wondered what they were now, are they dating and are they allowed to call each other lovers? Was there a big difference? What if they weren't compatible? What if he got bored of her soon? What if he realised that Erina was too inexperienced and didnt like it? The thoughts flew through her mind and she was helpless as they took up space inside of her. _Maybe this was a mistake?_

Quickly she internally shook her head, willing the thoughts to disappear, they haven't even gotten to talk about it properly. She didn't know how Yukihira-ku- Souma felt about it.

Maybe she should talk to him about it. Hisako had said that good communication was needed in a healthy relationship. So, she should ask Souma about it.

Erina groaned as she thought about when she would get a chance to do that. It had been three days since _the_ confession and they still hadn't talked about it. It felt like every responsibility had just fallen into their laps just as they got to confess their feelings. Erina had gotten busy with organising the exams for the first year students -she couldn't just ask Hisako to do more of her work, her best friend deserved more days off- and Souma used all his time to make new dishes and pass his own exams. They hardly got the time to talk about things other than cooking and school in general so it was tough to make time for feelings.

.

This didn't stop Souma though, he pushed through his work the whole day in order to make time during the night.

Souma let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders finally able to relax as he put away the kitchen utensils. Stretching as he got up, he picked up the boxes set aside and started his way towards Erina's office. It has been almost three days since his idiotic confession and he just wanted to be in Erina's company. To talk to her about what a pain the exams are, how his latest dish is going and the many things that the dorm gets up to while cooking. He wanted to know how her day was going, how being a director was taking a toll on her health and how she couldn't live without Hisako. He wanted to know everything. He wanted to know how their hands would fit together. How his hands would look on her tiny waist and how he would embrace her- _if_ she allowed him to.

He quickened his pace and in what felt like years he finally reached her office. He entered her office without knocking as usual and greeted her loudly.

"Yo Nakiri," he said, expecting her to reprimand him for barging into her office like that. He couldn't help but feel surprised when instead she just smiled at him, returning a greeting of her own.

She motioned for him to sit in front of her and he happily followed; maybe he could get away with a lot of things from now on.

Souma started taking the food out as soon as he sat down, happily chatting about what the dish was all about. He looked at her when he finished and was shocked to see her sitting still with a pretty smile on her face. About to ask her what she was thinking about, he leaned towards her. His eyes widened as Erina lifted her hands to where his were resting, before holding his hands. Souma smiled wide, maybe Erina liked holding hands and he certainly didn't mind one bit.

About to tease her for it, he let out a quick yell when she pinched his hands.

"Don't barge into my office like that, you idiot!" her eyes had a flame burning brightly inside and Souma couldn't help but be drawn to her, unable to look away. There goes his plan to get away from her scolding. He pouted as he rubbed his hands.

"Damn Nakiri, why do you have to be so violent," he chidded. He didn't think he could stare directly into her eyes again so soon, surely he would combust. Souma looked at the food in front of him and pushed one box towards her, taking the other one for himself.

Not bothering to respond to Yukihira, she opened the container feeling her stomach growl.

"Italien today? Were you competing with Aldini-kun?' she asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

"Yeah, he came over to the dorm, thought I'd get your opinion too," he responded nonchalantly, leaving out the bigger reason for his visit.

"Yeah? Is that all you came over for, _Souma-kun?_ " Erina's teasing tone made Souma blush; he never thought his name would sound that good coming from someone's mouth. He wanted to hear her say his name forever.

"Hmm? Were you expecting me to come over for something else, Erina?" Souma just couldn't let her win so easily. And besides, he really liked this part of their relationship. Where they could speak their thoughts without thinking twice, sarcasm and sass flying both ways.

He frowned when instead of a snarky comment, her eyes shifted downward. Her happy face turned into sadness and she frowned as she looked away. Souma felt a pang of hurt, confusion and alarm all together. He wanted to take back his words now and wished he had been more truthful. He didn't think she would have a reaction like that, he expected a smirk and probably another pinch on his hand.

"Eri-" he started to apologise only to be cut off.

"I just thought you'd come by to talk to me about what happened a few day ago, but I guess I was wrong," her eyes remained downcast and her voice barely a whisper; Souma in his panic didn't notice the slight quirk of her lips.

"No-no no, I did come here to see you! To talk to you!' his voice lowered as a blush took over, "I missed you, Nakiri."

"Then you should've said so in the beginning, Souma," smirking, Erina started eating the food that Souma had cooked. Souma had kept her in his mind as he made it; he remembered as he saw her eat. These days, she was all that he thought about. "And you can just call me Erina."

Souma's mouth dropped as he realised he had just been played by the Ice Queen. He sulked as he slowly picked up his pasta. She won, easily.

This would be more difficult than he had first thought.

He would definitely get back at her.

The conversation shifted towards their exams and her work; Souma couldn't help but want to wrap her in his blanket and make her sleep for the whole weekend as he listened to her talk about all the work she needed to do. She had been doing so much work since forever, Souma was just sad that he didn't notice how much of a toll this was on her. Her duties had increased since she took the seat of the director and now she hardly had time to breathe.

A silence took over when they finished their food, hands mindlessly closing the boxes while their minds were far away. Souma stared at her hands, wanting to hold them again, make sure they were warm. He wanted to see how long she'll let him hold his hand before pulling away.

His attention shifted to her face when she coughed, his eyebrow raising as he looked at the blush on her face.

"A-are we going to talk about it or not?" Erina asked, still not looking at him.

"Talk about what?" his eyebrow raised, confused as hell.

"Souma! Are you an idiot?" she felt a blush take over her cheeks and ears, frustrated with her idiotic boyfriend, "Are we dating? Are we together? What are we!?"

Erina didn't know what to do with the other chef! How could someone be so clueless?

Wait...did she already call him her boyfriend. She didn't know what he thought about it though. What if this they weren't actually official? Boyfriend - girlfriend meant official, right? Dating meant they were just trying out the 'relationship' thing?

She wanted Hisako. To give her advice and to tell her to stop reading manga.

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is," Erina said, not really believing what she was saying but oh well. "Are we officially together?"

Souma couldn't believe what she was saying! Was she thinking that they weren't official all this time? They had confessed their feelings for each other, for God's sake! That pretty much meant they were together, _didn't it?_

"I thought we were, I mean… If you want to," his voice came in broken intervals, "Sorry this is new for me too, so I'm not really sure what to do." He averted his gaze to the windows behind her, hoping something would happen to quell this awkward conversation or at least tell him what to say. He almost expected Isshiki-senpai to come down the roof, half naked as always.

"You idiot! You're supposed to properly ask someone to be yours! Take them out on a date and confess!" she wasn't having any of this. She deserved to be asked out properly, that's how it always happened in the mangas which she read.

"You read that in a manga?" he snorted, he could imagine that.

"Yukihira Souma!" Her face turned red again, this time more in anger than embarrassment, such disrespect won't be tolerated.

"Okay okay, I got it! I'll take you out on a date," Souma had already warmed up to the idea, this would give them more item to spend together and that too outside of her office, "Lemme think and I'll tell you about it."

"It better be good, Yukihira-kun," she hummed, excited over this change. She was going to have a proper date! Oh god, she needed to talk about it with Hisako!

Both of them got pulled into their thoughts, and in the blink of an eye they were separating and heading towards their home. Souma couldn't hide his smile as he made his way towards the dorm.

He ignored the knowing look Isshiki-senpai threw at him as he entered the dorm. He had planning to do.

.

He had no plan.

Souma ran his hand through his hair in frustration and nearly cried out loud. He had been up all night and he hadn't been able to come up with a good enough plan.

Each idea that he had come up with was immediately shot down. He thought about making her food, but that was something he always did, so what was the difference between their normal meetings and a date?

Maybe a hot spring trip would help her relax but he knew she would never leave her work for so many days and besides… it seemed too sexual for a first date. He stumbled a bit at the idea, a flush dusting his cheeks.

They had already been to various places because of Totsuki and he wasn't going to take her to a place which reminded both of them of exams.

He needed something special, something she would love and something which would surprise her. Being the Totsuki Queen meant she had experienced a lot of things already. He remembered the time when they were in Hokkaido; she didn't get the time to enjoy the place before as it was all strictly business, his heart fluttered as he remembered her unrestrained smile when they had all enjoyed the street food. It reminded him that she too was a student, and seeing her so happy had made butterflies erupt in his stomach and heart. At the time, he thought he had had too much to eat, but now he _knew_.

Maybe they should do a proper tour sometime- probably after they graduate. Souma couldn't help but blush at his thoughts, they hadn't even gone a proper date and here he was planning a few years ahead. Would they still be together by the end of their school life? Oh god, he hoped so. He would do anything to make sure that they never break up.

 _You have to be together first in order to break up._ A terrible voice in his head said, reminding Souma to get back on the task of planning a date.

He got up from his bed to roam around, hoping that will somehow spring an idea in his mind. He moved towards the door before deciding to leave the Dorm. Fresh air will do him good.

He passed Tadokoro and Isshiki-senpai chatting in the kitchen and Yuuki running after her animals, surely Fumio-san will scream at her, and also at Ibusaki-kun for all the smoke coming from his room. Overall it was a typical day at the dorm, nothing new to tell Erina.

Opening the front door of the dorm, Souma was immediately hit with the summer wind, making him feel warm from the inside. It was soothing and Souma couldn't help but relax as he took a deep breath. The weather was perfect, neither too hot nor too cold, with almost no humidity.

He smiled at the thought of being here with Erina and her liking this weather.

Souma moved towards the small stream of water that everyone had dug up a few months ago, the water as clear as day and he couldn't help but smile. Everything was so peaceful -exams were stressful and being a first seat was also sometimes a pain, but Souma took everything in stride, he accepted things and carved his own path. He was having fun and his skills were improving and that's all that mattered. And now that he knew that Erina returned his feelings was even better. He just needed to ask her out properly and make her happy.

Looking down at his reflection in the water, Souma got lost in his thoughts. Various places were running through his head, the ones he had been to before and the ones he looked up on the internet. Still none of them felt like they would be fun. They just didn't feel personal.

Souma wanted to show her how much she meant to him, and he had to do so by taking her to a place which would both be romantic and personal.

He groaned when he came up empty, he could always take her to his own place, to Yukihira Diner, but it felt too much for a first date. He didn't want to overwhelm her.

He stared at the little fish swimming in the water hoping it would give him a idea. He was getting desperate. Maybe he should just give up his pride and ask Isshiki-senpai, he will take all the teasing looks that he knew Isshiki will give him. At least he would have a place to take Erina to.

Sighing as he decided to go back to the kitchen, he stretched and let out a small groan. He was about to turn his back on the stream when a sudden flash of light caught his eyes. Souma stared at the stream for a minute longer before he felt a grin appear on his face. He was practically beaming, knowing what he was going to do!

He turned around and ran back to his room, opening his phone.

Maybe he wouldn't need Isshiki-senpai's help after all.

.

Planning everything didn't take much time, now he just needed a few more things and then he would be ready to take Erina out on a date.

Whistling to himself, he bounced over to Hisako. She was looking over some papers and Souma silently peered at the papers before grinning.

"Yo Hishoko," Hisako turned around abruptly, not having noticed the first seat.

"Good morning, Yukihira-kun," she said, immediately turning back to her work. Hoping the other chef won't ask her to complete his paperwork. Again.

"Ah Hishoko, I needed your help on something. I just nee-"

"I'm not doing your work for you." Her tone was final, she had a lot of work to do herself!

"Oh I already finished all of that," Souma grinned, chuckling at her face which had disbelief written all over.

"What else would you need from me?" she couldn't help but feel suspicious. Not even God knew what the red head chef was usually up to. And knowing that Yukihira Souma did all his paperwork on his own set her more on edge. Souma wasn't really known for liking paperwork.

 _Like father like son._

Hisako's thoughts went to last night, when she had spent an hour talking to her best friend. She knew what was going on between her Erina and Yukihira Souma, and she was happy. She really was. But that didn't stop her from feeling protective over Erina. If the redhead didn't take proper care of her precious best friend then he _will_ regret it.

"Nothing much, just those papers," he smirked, before taking the papers out of her hands. His eyes quickly read through them, taking advantage of Erina's secretary being too shocked to take back the papers. He couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back as he looked at the schedule in front of him. He knew he could trust Hisako to give Erina a day off and that too on the perfect day.

He smiled as he handed her the papers back, thanking her before running towards his class. He ignored the annoyed shouts, he was way too happy to see that his plan was going well. Now onto the toughest part.

In his haste, he didn't notice how Hisako's frown turned into a pleasant smile. She knew what was going to happen and she was _too_ excited for Erina to hide that little squeal that escaped her mouth.

Erina will be delighted.

.

Souma paced outside the door, wondering how he was going to let Erina know. Should he do it normally or should he do something else? Souma bit his lip, hoping she would agree. Well that was stupid, of course she would agree. She was the one who wanted to go on a date in the first place!

He quickly entered the room, not bothering to knock as always. Erina's head snapped towards him and he couldn't help but let out the breathe he was holding when he saw the smile on her face. He smiled back, marvelling at how she looked when she smiled. He was right, that was her best look.

"Yukihira Souma! How many times do I need to tell you to knock," her tone was reprimanding but the smile never left her face. In fact, it now seemed to reach her eyes.

"Hmm I don't know, I never listen anyway," the Cheshire grin was on full force and he was beaming at her with all his teeth on display. He was really happy and excited, sue him.

"Is that a way to talk to the Director? I can throw you out any second, first seat or not," she couldn't and she wouldn't but it didn't hurt to threaten Souma once in a while.

"You like me too much to do that, Erina," the words left his lips without much thought and he immediately shut his mouth after that. The blush was apparent on both of their faces.

She looked pretty with a blush.

Souma pushed the food he had brought towards her, he had come here with a purpose after all, no matter how pretty she looked with a blush. He would always have time to make her blush when she was _his._

"What did you bring today, Souma-kun?" she peered under the lid as she lifted it slightly. Hit with the fragrance of egg as soon as she did.

Her eyes shot up when she recognized what the dish was, her gaze was met with intense eyes. The redhead looked serious though he had a small smile on his face.

"Transforming Furikake Gohan?" Erina didn't know why he would bring up the dish again. She thought she had made it clear that she approved of it when she made her own version in Hokkaido. That was a declaration of how much the other chef really meant to her.

Souma didn't answer her, instead he opened his own box and tossed the eggs on his rice. Taking his chopsticks in his other hand, his eyes flickered to Erina who was still waiting for him to speak.

Yukihira Souma had a habit of never doing what Erina expected him to. So, he moved forward and did the same to her dinner. She didn't complain as she watched him prepare her dinner, her thoughts too scrambled for her too grasp the concept. Her mind was still thinking about his motive, various possibilities rushing through.

Erina was about to repeat her question when Souma finally answered.

"This is what brought us together, isn't it? The day I entered Totsuki and the day we defeated Nakamura-senpai. This is something which is special to both of us, so I," a stutter followed by swallowing, "I thought this should signify another special thing for us."

Souma gazed into her eyes, hoping she would get what he was saying. She knew he wasn't good with expressing his feelings! For God's sake, he only had the courage to tell her about his feelings when he _thought_ she was asleep.

He sighed when she continued to stare at him, her face clouded with confusion.

"Since this is something important, I thought it would be the best way to ask you on a date like this," he mumbled the end of the sentence, his voice almost inaudible.

"Hmm what was that?" the twinkle in her eye said she already knew.

"I said," Souma gritted out, "Go on a date with me this Saturday."

Her eyes were twinkling like stars and Souma wondered how they would look under fireworks. Erina quickly nodded her consent before a frown marred her features.

"But I-"

"I already checked your schedule, you have no meetings that day," Souma had planned this out already. God bless Hisako.

Erina looked down at her food, avoiding the smouldering gaze from the redhead. She was damn excited going by the large grin on her face. Her leg was bouncing and Erina was having a hard time trying to get it to stop.

She can't let Souma know how happy she was, that'll be a mental point to him in her scoreboard and she wasn't going to let that happen.

"Where are you taking me?" Her head tilted to the side as she questioned. Souma couldn't help but think that she looked like a cute cat. He laughed as the thought crossed his mind.

"What!? Don't you dare laugh at me, Yukihira Souma," she growled out.

Okay, a cute tiger.

"I can't just ruin the surprise just like that," he smiled, hopefully she would like the idea.

"You'll have to wait and see."

.

Souma didn't really get nervous much, he had spent his whole life with his eccentric father and their impromptu battles. And after he joined the Polar Star Dorm, he got more used to it. Every day was a different kind of weird and Souma took it in stride. So, no. He didn't get nervous easily.

Of course, Erina was the exception.

Souma was excited for their date but dreaded her reaction. What if she wasn't happy with his choice. He thought this would be a good first date, since it will be a new experience for her and it seemed like something a shoujou manga would do.

Maybe he should have asked Isshiki-senpai for ideas.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Erina making her way towards him. Souma smiled at her and moved to meet her halfway.

 _He wanted to do this forever._

His eyes widened and with his mouth on the floor, he took in her appearance. The yukata fitted her perfectly and the flowers stemmed from below. Vines reaching up and curling around her figure, beautiful cherry blossoms blooming all the way. It looked perfect. _She_ was perfect.

"Are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to say something," Erina smirked but she couldn't really blame him. She was guilty of doing the same thing. The chef was in a black yukata which had small white flowers around the end. It wasn't her first time seeing him in a yukata but this time, she couldn't deny how good he looked.

"You look nice," he said after a pause, still looking at her. A little blush coated his cheeks, and Erina couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

"Souma, wh-"

"I just wa-"

They both stopped and looked at each other before laughing. She didn't know why she found it so funny or why her tummy was twisting so delicately. The butterflies and the little thumps of her heart didn't make any sense to her. But she liked it. She liked him.

"You go first," Souma said, his eyes shining and his heart fluttering. _Were these feelings normal? Is this what it's supposed to feel like? He can't wait to find out. With Erina._

"Where are you taking me? Why did you ask Hisako to tell me to dress up in a yukata? Why are you wearing a yukata? Where are we going? Why didn't you just tell me yourself?" She fired, a few questions getting left behind. _Why do you look so nice?_

"Wow that's a lot of questions you've got," Souma took a deep breath and thought about them, "It's a surprise. I told Hisako because I knew you would ask questions and this seemed as the safer option. It would be weird if you wore one and I didn't, right? I already answered that, why would you ask me that again."

Erina thought about the answers and pouted. "I want better answers," she demanded.

"And you're not going to get them," he grinned (her pout was too cute) before adding on when he saw her glare. "Right now."

She scoffed before walking ahead of him, not turning back to look at the idiot.

Souma smiled at her, full of emotions that he never felt before. If Erina turned around now she would notice how his eyes were filled with adoration.

He patted his cheeks, telling himself to calm down before running after her.

"We need to go that side, Erina."

.

Souma took a deep breath when they finally reached their destination. Erina hadn't let the topic go, trying to get him to tell her where he was taking her. She hadn't faltered at his refusals but calmed down when he changed the subject to food and their school life. They thought about new recipes and tired to think of methods to improve the previous ones. That had distracted her enough but now it was obvious were they were.

Erina looked at the display and all the other people in front of her. Her eyes held stars as she looked at the lights. Or was it the lights being reflected in her eyes? She had seen this before but in a different setting. The one Totsuki held was much more extravagant than this one -which was a given. But this. This was a pleasant surprise.

She turned to Souma looking for an explanation, brimming with excitement and confusion.

"I wanted to take you somewhere which was both nice and personal," he started, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, " And there aren't a lot of places like that -which you already haven't been to- so I thought you would like this. I've been coming here for years. Dad and I used to set up a stall here when I was small and then I got to do it myself before joining Totsuki. Last year I wasn't able to come because of what all happened but I wanted you to see this. I wanted you to have fun and try new things. I know Totsuki organises one every year but as a student you didn't get to enjoy it. Well, not properly at least. And I thought that it would be a good experience, you'll be able to enjoy it as a teenager and not as the Director of a whole damn school, and the God Tongue. So here we are, at the matsuri that I've loved for years and I hope you'll like it too."

Souma took a deep breath hoping that she would say something now. Did she like it or hate it? Various thoughts flashed through his mind and he had to mentally smack himself for thinking like that.

Erina stared at him in shock, wondering how he had thought about it so much. She liked that. That she had been in his mind so much, that she meant so much to him to bring her here. To a place which was important to him.

It almost felt like he was giving her a piece of himself. One she would gladly accept.

She looked at the bright lights in front of her, how it looked like it went on for miles, all the way to the end of the world. The path decorated with various lanterns and trinkets. Small booths were on both side. Some selling food and some beckoning others to come closer and play games. The festival was in full swing. And unlike Totsuki's, the people behind the booths had huge smiles on their faces -having fun and enjoying the festival- instead of frowns of concentration as they moved around to make sure they fulfill their task, in fear of getting thrown out. The place was filled with people in yukatas going around and trying the food and games. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves. As she thought about it, Souma always looked like he was having fun. With food, with friends, and with _her_.

"Please say something."

Erina looked at the redhead beside her, she had almost forgotten about replying as she let his words sink in.

"I finally know why I had to wear a yukata," Erina grinned cheekily. Souma stared at her in disbelief before choking on a laugh. Whatever reply he had been expecting wasn't that.

She always managed to surprise him.

"That's it? I give that big speech and that's all you have to say?" He said as he finally controlled his breathing.

Erina looked at him with a bright smile before she did something unexpected. _Again._

Moving forward, she slowly took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers.

It surprised her how perfectly their hands fit.

Squeezing his hand gently, she pulled him towards the entrance.

"Come on, you idiot, we might as well enjoy all the booths here. The food better be good." The smile on her face said everything she wanted him to know. Souma beamed at her before focusing on their hands.

Oh boy, he was right. Her hands did feel great in his.

He let her drag him towards the first stall. Making sure she tried everything she wanted and explaining all the games to her. Looking at her eyes taking everything around her had made him sure that bringing her here was the best idea.

Even here Erina stood out, with her beautiful smile and her gorgeous face. Souma was sure he saw a few boys looking at her and he subtly covered her from their view, bringing her closer by her hands. Erina had looked up at him, confused at the sudden closeness. But she had let it go. Souma was thankful for that.

They slowly moved down to the other stalls. Souma made a point to make sure she tried all the best foods.

"I used to get Yakitori from here every year. It's so good," Souma said as he greeted the vendor. The old man smiled at him before greeting him back. Erina was shocked to see how everyone knew Souma by name.

Getting two sticks, he handed one to Erina before paying.

"Oh, are you two young children on a date?" The old man asked looking at their joined hands. "Young love, I remember taking my wife on a date at a similar festival many years ago. She loved it. She still pesters me about taking her out again but you know how they are…"

Souma sputtered and Erina blushed as the man kept on talking. Souma quickly interrupted him before saying goodbye and bolting it out of there, pulling Erina with him. They laughed as they ran away.

Erina couldn't control her laughter, her smile never leaving her face. She can't remember the last time she felt this carefree. As she looked at the redhead chef beside her, talking about everything he had done here, she thought- _Hisako would be proud of her choice._ That explained why she had been so eager to get her ready for today and how she had almost cried when Erina was stepping out. Something about how it felt like 'giving her daughter's hand in marriage to someone'. Erina didn't really know what she meant.

Erina was enjoying herself. She didn't really expect Souma to bring her here. To be honest she has no clue what their date was going to be. The hours she had spent in her bed thinking about it has been a waste, as she had come with the most ridiculous ideas which were nowhere near the truth.

This was really cute, the place was different than she was used to and the food wasn't the best. But in some way, she felt human. She felt like she was going to float away any time and the only thing that kept her grounded was the hand around hers and the chef next to her.

She didn't realize when they passed all the stalls and came across a pond. She looked around in wonder and followed Souma as he took her one of the benches near the water.

They both looked down at their reflection and the bright lights of the festival behind them.

"Are you having fun?" Souma asked, his voice tainted with nervousness.

"I am. Thank you for bringing me here."

"That's great!" Souma grinned, "Now you only have to admit that the food was good too."

"Never," Erina chuckled, "It was too oily, don't even get me started on how the chicken was from the 5th stall." Souma winced, he had to admit that the chicken wasn't the best thing he had tasted.

"But you liked the other stuff! And the games too!" He pointed at the small tiger plushie in her other hand. Something he had won her at one of the stalls.

"What! No I didn't. You were the one having more fun, you looked like a little kid."

They continued to banter, Erina not paying any attention to the time.

She was so lost in proving that the goldfish scooping game was rigged that she didn't notice Souma looking at the time. She jumped when she heard the first burst, followed by more and more. Her gaze immediately turned to the sky. Now adorned with millions of lights and colors. She gasped at how beautiful it was. Erina looked at Souma and felt the words dying in her throat. He was looking at her as if she was more beautiful than the fireworks in front of them. They stared at each other before Souma looked away. A soft smile on his face as he looked at the fireworks but it seemed as if his mind was miles away from it.

She couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face as the hold on her hands tightened and they both leaned into each other.

"Since you enjoyed our date, does this mean you're my girlfriend now?" Souma whispered in her ear. Erina couldn't stop the shiver she felt at the sensation.

Her mind was too overwhelmed with emotions and she did nothing to stop the soft _of course_ that escaped her lips.

Their hands were intertwined the whole night.

Neither wanting to let go.

...

 **I hope you liked this and the news is..dundundun...i have planned two more one shots for this... all of these can be read separately BUT the other two will see an increase in the rating (hehehehe) so im going to post them separately and not add them in this fic.**

 **it's given more clearly i guess on my ao3 (classic_phan) so you can check that out**

 **tell me if you liked this or not!**


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